Trafalgar lighthouse
National no.: 20010
Date of construction: 1857 - 1860
Location: 36º 11,0’N / 06º 2,0’W.
Located on the cape of the same name, alongside the remains of a watchtower that saw the battle between the British and Franco-Spanish navies in 1806. There is a tarmac road that leads to it from Caños de Meca.
Visits: only exterior. There is a gallery for viewing the cape and nearby beaches of Caños de Meca, Zahora and El Palmar.
Description: Planned by Eduardo Saavedra in 1857 it was the only lighthouse between Cadiz with Tarifa prior to the construction of the Caraminal and Roche lighthouses. Built on a tapering tower like a Roman column, it is 34 metres high, but its fragility meant that it was later reinforced with the buttresses that give it its singular appearance. It has an adjoining building where the lighthouse keepers live.
It was lit in 1862 with a range of 19 miles, using a blend of oil and petrol as fuel. A new project for the light was installed in 1923, extending the range of the light to 29 miles. A circular radio beacon was installed in 1973 which was later electrified.
Information taken from the publication LOS FAROS DE LA COSTA ANDALUZA, author T. Falcón Márquez, Edición Consejería de Obras Públicas y Transportes y del Boletín del Instituto Andaluz de Patrimonio Histórico
